3 ms·

What women at Microsoft face, and why many leave

15 points by woodhull 8y ago

rhapsodic 8y ago
Steeped in a workaholic culture that more than once had her sleeping on the office couch, she was afraid of missing her school-age daughter’s childhood. “I discovered how important family was,” she said. So she quit. That sounds entirely understandable. Most of the driven, workaholic types I've known over the course of my lifetime have been men. But I don't think we should outlaw, or even demonize workaholic cultures like the one described.
- peterhadlaw 8y ago
  I think we should make sure to let people do what makes them truly happy. It should be okay for someone to prioritize their family over a job if that's what they want to do. There's a strong movement, through social pressures, making it not "okay" to do that. Just like it should be okay to be a workaholic if that's what helps you sleep, on the couch, at night
  - rhapsodic 8y ago
    >Just like it should be okay to be a workaholic if that's what helps you sleep, on the couch, at night The problem is that workaholic men who put their career ahead of their family do better in their career than women who put their family first. So the social pressure is for men to change their life choices, and companies to change their cultures, to accommodate women.
    - peterhadlaw 8y ago
      > <class A> who prioritizes their career do better, in their career, than <class B> who prioritizes something other than their career>. Is that not how things are supposed to work?
      - rhapsodic 8y ago
        >Is that not how things are supposed to work? Yes, in my view. Not, apparently, in the collective view of our society. If that happens too much in a particular company, like Microsoft, they're subject to government pressure and unfavorable public scrutiny like this article. We simply cannot allow companies to have hard-driving, workaholic cultures if it means that most of the benefits accrue to men rather than women. Popular media is constantly reminding me that woman are strong, invincible, fierce and independent. And yet I'm also constantly told that men have to change their behaviors to accommodate women.
- namlem 8y ago
  I think we should absolutely stigmatize workaholic culture, or we will end up like Japan.

15 points by woodhull 8y ago

Steeped in a workaholic culture that more than once had her sleeping on the office couch, she was afraid of missing her school-age daughter’s childhood. “I discovered how important family was,” she said. So she quit. That sounds entirely understandable. Most of the driven, workaholic types I've known over the course of my lifetime have been men. But I don't think we should outlaw, or even demonize workaholic cultures like the one described.

peterhadlaw 8y ago
I think we should make sure to let people do what makes them truly happy. It should be okay for someone to prioritize their family over a job if that's what they want to do. There's a strong movement, through social pressures, making it not "okay" to do that. Just like it should be okay to be a workaholic if that's what helps you sleep, on the couch, at night
- rhapsodic 8y ago
  >Just like it should be okay to be a workaholic if that's what helps you sleep, on the couch, at night The problem is that workaholic men who put their career ahead of their family do better in their career than women who put their family first. So the social pressure is for men to change their life choices, and companies to change their cultures, to accommodate women.
  - peterhadlaw 8y ago
    > <class A> who prioritizes their career do better, in their career, than <class B> who prioritizes something other than their career>. Is that not how things are supposed to work?
    - rhapsodic 8y ago
      >Is that not how things are supposed to work? Yes, in my view. Not, apparently, in the collective view of our society. If that happens too much in a particular company, like Microsoft, they're subject to government pressure and unfavorable public scrutiny like this article. We simply cannot allow companies to have hard-driving, workaholic cultures if it means that most of the benefits accrue to men rather than women. Popular media is constantly reminding me that woman are strong, invincible, fierce and independent. And yet I'm also constantly told that men have to change their behaviors to accommodate women.
namlem 8y ago
I think we should absolutely stigmatize workaholic culture, or we will end up like Japan.